If you're a bit of a geek (and I know you are because, c'mon, you're reading Gizmodo), you probably grew up watching Bill Nye. The goofy puns, the cheeky visuals, the corny yet cool music videos, all inspired a generation to grow up and do cool things with science. Here's our TV hero's origin story.

I never knew that Bill Nye started out as a comedy performer. Although the way he tells the story, and given the way he taught science on his TV show, it all makes sense. Science plus comedy, what a powerful mix. Add in a little sage guidance from none other than Carl Sagan—whose fingerprint still touches laymen's science education today—and you've got a winning combination.

Bill Nye is not the bounding, zany guy he used to be. He's grayer, with an older sounding voice and a more toned-down demeanor. But for those of us who grew up watching him, who absorbed his enthusiasm for science and his unending thirst for knowledge, he'll always be The Science Guy. [NOVA via BoingBoing]